Preparation and characterization of antibacterial silver/vermiculites and silver/montmorillonites

The reason for the preparation and characterization of the novel antibacterial silver/vermiculites (Ag/V) together with the silver/montmorillonites (Ag/M) was that the information on the vermiculite structure change and stability of Ag/V in water as well as its effect on bacteria are sporadic. The vermiculite (V), (Si3.02Al0.98)(IV) (Mg2.27Al0.12Fe0.283+Fe0.052+Ti0.07)O-VI(10)(OH)(2) Ca0.09Na0.21K0.50 from West China and montmorillonite (M), (Si3.96Al0.04)(IV)(Al1.20Fe0.343+Mg0.42Ti0.02)(VI) O-10 (OH)(2)- Ca0.15Na0.14K0.08 from Ivancice (Czech Republic), fraction <0.4 mu m were the starting clay materials for sample preparation. The samples V1 and M1 were prepared via reaction of the V and M with the 0.01 mol L-1 AgNO3 aqueous solution. The samples V2 and M2 were treated with the aqueous solution of AgNO3 for two times. The cation exchange and reduced metallic silver on M1 and V1 evoked the specific surface area (SSA) diminution, the mean particle-size diameter extension and appearance of micropores with radius (<0.4 nm). Repeated silver cation exchange in M2 and V2 reduced particle size, increased slightly SSA and micropores with radius of 0.4-0.5 nm. Samples Ag/V and Ag/M showed higher content of pores with radius 0.5-1.0 nm than original V and M. The Ag concentration was found higher in Ag/V than in Ag/M and higher in repeatedly treated samples: 0.9 wt.% Ag in V1, 1.4 wt.% Ag in V2, 0.6 wt.% Ag in M1 and 1.0 wt.% Ag in M2. Vermiculite structure consisting of the hydrated interstratified phases and the mica-like phase changed to the cation-one-zero layer hydrate interstratification structure in V1 and to the random of two one layer hydrate interstratifications in V2. Infrared and Mossbauer spectroscopy revealed no changes in the structure of the clay minerals that could be related directly to the sorption and crystallization of silver. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the silver nanoparticles size distribution was much narrower for the samples Ag/M than for Ag/V. The mean size of the Ag particles was between 40 and 50 nm. Although the Ag nanoparticles did not adhere sufficiently at the clay minerals surface and migrated moderately into water, all samples under study were approved to be effective inhibitors of the bacterial growth persisting for the whole testing period of 6 days. Silver/vermiculite was antimicrobial more efficient against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa than silver/montmorillonite. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.